Process and apparatus for the separation of immiscible substances



May 25 1926.

L. D. JONES rnocsss AND APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATIbN OF mmscxsm SUBSTANCES Filed May 1 1924 I] xvmvron Jioraye 722x146. (ZI ay m m ATTORIJEYS spplication filed May 1,

invention relates to processes and upi the separation of immiscible ecial apdication of my iny i of oil from v tier n1 P is mixed. i the i'iilliiililiifin. "til oil of 'Wifil that is mixed therewith. ocesscs one separates that are suitable :reeing one substance from an immiscible substance to a substantially high degree may be more economically or more effectively used or appiicd when one of the substances is present in a relatively small proportion; and it is frispientiy possible to use simple processes and apparatus to produce a mixture of such proportions, even though the original mixture contained a predominating proportion of that substance which it is desired to have presentin only a small proportion. For example, in accordance with my invention, I propose to employ a. centrifugal separator for se arating water from oil, but since it is possi le that the original mixture may contain a very large proportion of water I propose to use auxiliary devices to so reduce the amount of water present that it constitutes but a small part of the mixture introduced into the centrifugal separator.

\Vatcr that has become mixed or even emulsified with oil should in many cases he removed from the oil before the oil is used. And when oil is stored on shipboard it frequently becomes mixed with sea Water, for example, when the oil so stored is carried in com artments some of which are in the double ottom of the ship as in the case of fuel oil. l i hcn such oil compartments are emptied they are sometimes filled. with sea water to ballast the ship and there is usually some Water in such compartments when the oil is introduced. Furthermore such compartnients are not entirely free of oil when t- 2 ballast water is introduced, In other ways oil and water become mixed in the "ation of the ship and the water in the frequently contains a considerable nthe storage rd or emu to provii. oragzc, the unicd ivliiic the cities. "ibese DELPHIA, PENNSYLV I, Q]? PHILADELPHIA, E TA! AFEiEATUS FOR THE SEPARATIGEI? {1F IR'ZT ESCIBLE 3315317513352 1924, serial No. viscera.

partments and the burners coiled daily run or daily the burners will not be cont by.

Under these conditions several problems arise. The oil drawn from the fuel storage tanks must be substantially freed of mixed and emulsified water before it can be burned. The oil in the bilge and ballast water must be recovered as a matter of economy and, since such water and in particular the ballast water, is preferably discharged while the ship is in a harbor, the oil in such water must be recovered to avoid a breach of laws prohibiting the pollution-of harbors and beaches thereby.

It is an object of my invention to provide a process and a paratus for the separation of immiscible substances, a particular object being the provision of such a process and apparatus, wherebv Water may be separated from oil to make it useful for burning and oil may be separated from water to save the oil and prevent harbor pollution.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a process for the separation of immiscible substances and to provide ap aratus for carrying out such a process w one in an oiiective gravity separating device and a centrifugal separating device are so interrelated to produce rapid and effective separation of the immiscible substances. And in accordance with my invention I propose to employ and provide a gravity separating device and a centrifugal separating device so related to one another and to the ordinary e uipment of oil burning ships that oil snppiic to the burners aviii be effectively freed of water and no oil Wiii be lost and no oil wili, be contained in the water discharged rem the ship to constitute a loss or effect rr'itlution rge o nerd We sion that colicct t. in the I; service tank Weil as the oil mi 7 water bailast, but the appiicstion ct my process and the use of apparatus embodying my invention xvii? eliminate this loss and cause of pollution,

" the recovery purification oil coming from the storage tanks of ships constitutes one application of my invention, I shall describe such application merely -for the purpose of disclosing m invention, but not with the intention of imiting my 1nvention to such application.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagram of apparatus embodying my invention and whereby my process may be racticed;

Fig. 2 1s a vertical elevation, (partly in section, of a gravity purifying evice, shown in Fig. 1, and embodying and for the practice of an important part of my lnventlon; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken from the ri ht of Fig. 2 with the front wall of the ev1oe part1 broken away. The sup ly p 1pe 1 may lead from any container a mlxture of immiscible substances such as the storage tanks for the ship fuel oil. The pump P upon pro er setting of the three-way valve 2 will de iver the mixture to an intermediate or settling or daily service tank 3. Or with a difierent settin of the three-way valve 2, the mixture is elivered through the fpipe 4 into the gravity settling devlce 5 rom which one substance is discharged through the pipe 6, and another substance is discharged through the pipe When 011 carried in a ship. e. fuel oil, or water contaminated with 01, e. g. ballast or bilge water, is being handled, water will be (118- charged, preferably into the sea, through p the pipe 6 and oil will be discharged through the pipe 7. Although two settling or service tanks would ordinarily be employed from either of which fuel may be passed through suitable outlets to consumption a paratus, particularly in the handhn of s 1p fuel, only one is shown in the rawln Each settlin or service tank 3 is provi ed with an out et 8 near the bottom and an outlet 9 from a higher point. In the embodiment herein shown, each service tank is divided by a partition 10 into a main compartment 13 and an auxiliary compartment 14. The partition 10 has a passage 11 at about the same level as the outlet 9 and a passage 12 to equalize the air pressure in the compartments 13 and 14. Two maps 1? and P are provided and a mani old 15 1s connected to the inlet of pump P and a manifold 16 is connected to the inlet of pump P. The settling tank outlets 8 and 9 are respectively connected to the manifold 15 through the valves 17 and 18 and to the manifold 16 through the valves 19 and 20, as shown. Pipes 21 and 22 respective] lead from outlets of the other setthng tan (not shown) that correspond to the outlets 8 and 9 of the tank 3 shown communication between the pipes 21 and 22 with the manifolds 15 and 16 being controlled by the valves 23, 24, 25 and 26. The pumps P and P are respectively provided with outlets 27 and 28. The pipe '29 receives the desired substance that has been substantially freed of other substances of the original mixture. In the handling of ship fuel oil, oil effectively freed of water will be delivered through the pipe 29 to the burners. Pipe 29 is connected to the pi e 28 through the valve 30 and to the pipe 2 through the valve 31. After a mixture, for example, fuel oil and water, has settled in one of the tanks 3, oil may be drawn through the upper outlet 9 and passed to the burners by the pump P if the valve 18 is open, or by the pump P if the valve 20 is open. Any substance that has settled in the tank 3, or example, free water, emulsion, or oil and water that are merely mixed, ma. be withdrawn from the lower outlets 8 o the tank 3. It will be apparent from the con- 1 nections and valves shown in the drawing that oil may be drawn from the upper out let 9 of either of the tanks 3 by means of either of the umps P or P, and thereb passed to the urner. Only one pump wil ordinarily be so used and it will be apparent that the pump that is not so used may be employed to withdraw material from the lower outlet 8 of either of the tanks 3 and pass it to the pipe 32.. If the pum P is withdrawing material from one of t e outlets 8 the valves 33 and 30 will be open and the valves 34 and 31 will be closed. If the ump P is withdrawing material from one of the outlets 8, the valves 33 and 30 will be closed and the valves 34 and 31 will be open. If the material passing from the tank 3 through the outlet 8 is largely water, the valve 35 is opened and the substance from the pipe 32 will pass through the valve 35 and the pipe 4 into the gravity separating device 5.

A mixture of immiscible substances entermg the gravlty separator 5, throu h the pipe 4, such as ballast water from t e storage tanks that contains a small quantity of oil, or Oll from the storage tanks that contains water, or material coming from one of the outlets'8 and containing water, mixed oil and water, or an emulsion, will pass into the inlet chamber 36, and be carried to the bottom of the gravity settling device 5. The gravity settling tank comprises a closed tank that is divided into a separating compartment 37 and a collecting com artment 38 by a partition 39, preferably inc ined as shown. The inlet compartment .36 is formed by the partition 40 that extends from the partition 39 to a point near the bottom of the tank leaving a passage 41 between the inlet compartment 36 and the separating compartment 37. An outlet compartment 42 is formed by a partition 43 that extends from the top of the tank 5 to a point near the bottom leaving an outlet passage 44 between will he at :liti mil fur the puriiin't the 'EllS nmv -18 will: a minim: mi west trim 1 48 and with :1 nnnimuiti. Hf thrnugzh the passages ll mil l. of the motion at the ship wit J15 is being handled in the gravitv s t fig device 5 l'(lll(9(l t inin'mm in; the taint that the Weir's s 6 anal. i61 are pnsitinnotl t-lnse t0- The tl ect gather and have 1th. The i 1t; 5t! thzll' 1 ma l l iii, the

:7 age 51 that f in ll'tt wvi +53%: mails narmw in order that iifill it in ,3: l'llttiigfi of pnsitinn of the tor 5 with respect to llut: hnrizontal, n nititinn m ths ship,

will have but li liquid in the p: thn mr agts 5U anal that m tlwisn IMF test limit the level of And as 1 and the weirs 46 w contml tits flow next class tu- 3 than :52? tsct ii. paisussite by the emulsion, if: mg anal the I substances 55 the mixture til? at; he lighter) tits W011 4-6.

walker is heiin turbulence the lewar edge he partition l3 and f"- Weir will ht .E'UStZltltHlllF imlanw (011mm nt' liqn mt'wenn the lnwer the partition til Zlilt wi l! the ltswtr tiun of this rnlnann cal lltltll-Il lw 1;: eontztining nil min the upper i tiinn i all that has lJCQIl largely frt-t-tt s *hen oil is tn he passed (2w:- thn sit that :"sir is higher than thy law-i2 4*; the mixture entering the inlet tsinpzu. 36 is IHIPOSC'Ll largtvly (it the lighttt' stance (7f the mixtun sin-h lighter sniistf will rise in the pipe 5:3, ut' Wll'ltll th s ti: is on thr statue lm'ial :is the Wfill? 48, (liSt'litiI'gttl intn llw L'nllvrt 38. 'lhus oil in" wily stihstait sepaiatnr 5 thrnugh the pipe l will with, late in the collecting compartment intermediate or service tanks 3 that are W drawn through the outlets 8 and passw tine pipe 32 consist largely of oil or oily stunt-vs such Elli nit-fies may he passed ltt'tly to tlw C(llltt'ltlilg rnni itirtmr-nt, 3'5? Opening the valve; it? and closing the 35 in through pint: 53.

Tim wllvcting trmnpnrtnmit 3S COKE heating coils 54 for heating the oil and; substuntes that accumulate in the comp nnrnt 88 and these milsheiflg positim: l close to the partition 89 will transmi to thv nil 0r all substances passinf the mule? sitltv at it sloping p Want tail pas; 51.

The nil m. Q; 'tunces in ill." mmpinln'nant are either l3 five A wntain in ltClllCQ i giropnrtinti, are rendered through lining limited and sash are tlisctuu'getl from the separator .5 tin A: the pipe '3' prnvitletl with the valve 55 leading; in the inlet of the sentrifngs 51 The centrifngt: may be of any type but in Arthur l iyres mi l lnt 118,588 n order ta 7. i oantlnn (it the SHlE -ZELEEQQS being rs V 1 pnllutisn 0f the atmosphere. The centr; fuge will eliminate free water and least a large prepsrtinn of any emaalsil w water and nil will pass therefrom through the, pipe 57 to the psmp P which pa the oil by means at the pipe 58 to the til ilisry compartment M of an intermetliutn settling tank 3 y means if the .59 tn th-a all. Siflffi ths (lliGCij' flow lining: dfilifillllifi): lay the valve iv ,7 the pipe and the valve 61 in the pig- I; r If the ct-ntritugal is of the type that tiiiinmislv tllHt'llll the heavier siilist the with? will pass thtirefrunl h}; n1ennz= lllt im 6- that m nis through the valve to i 1 ish in turn lsmls ship llil'iif'llgll the vslit:

the pump P that discharges into the pipe 1 from which liquid is led by the pipe .4 t0 the separator 5. I

Settling or intermediate or service tanks will ordinarily be provided with a vent 66 and ipe 1 leading from the storage tanks will ave a vent 67 and a return 68 that leads back to the storage tanks and into which an overflow 69 leads from the se arator 5. The pipe 1 being provided with the vent 67 is thereby constituted a chamber wherein gas, such as air, is permitted to escape from mixture that is pumped from the storage tanks to the gravity separator 5. The mixture, passing through the pipe 4 into the separator 5, being thus relieved of gas, the balanced columns of liquid on opposite sides of partition 43 and in pipe 53 will roperliy control the dischar e of oil an water mm the separator. If those columns of liquid contained air bubbles, particularly varying proportions of air bubbles, the resulting variation in density of the liquids in the two balanced columns mi ht be great enough to interfere with the ischarge of the separated liquids in proper proportion. Accordingly the mixture that is to be separated in the gravity separator is preliminarily freed of air in order that the discharge from the separator of the separated substances may be effectively contro led by liquid balance. The means whereby the substances or the mixture may be relieved of air may obviously be constructed in various ways. Although in the apparatus shown this means conveniently takes the form of a vented pipe or chamber whereby gas escapes from the liquid, the use of various devices whereby liquid is otherwise sufliciently freed of gas falls within the s irit of my invention. In the apparatus s own the liquid in the pipe 1 is subject to the efl'ect of the balancing columns and the pipe or chamber 1 must therefore extend to a level higher than weirs 46 and 48. Obviously, as shown, the mixture passage between the pipe 1 and the gravity separator should be at a level below the line of division between the oil and water in the passage 51 as it is not desirable to have the mixture passing downward through oil at any point. Furthermore, in some embodiments of my invention, the mixture that is being freed of air need not be subject to the liquid balance that is maintained within the gravity separator.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a process and apparatus for the practice thereof whereby immiscible substances contained in a storage tank as well as settlings in an intermediate or service tank may be treated to recover a substance that may properly be brought toether with the desired substance that is ingl withdrawn from the service tank. And it W1 1 also be apparent that I have provided, a process and apparatus whereby substances may be separated by maintaining a substantiall quiescent body of a mixture of substances t lat is constantly, but without the production of turbulence, fed with a mixture of substances and from which a lighter substance is withdrawn at an upper level and a heavier substance is withdrawn from a lower level, such withdrawal being determined by hydrostatic balance, such bydrostatic balance being controlled by weirs so close together and at the outlet of passages so small, that changes in the horizontal position of the separator will have little or no effect upon the separating action. And it will be apparent that when my process and apparatus are applied to the handling of shi fuel oil, all water, whether from bilges or allast tanks, is freed of contaminating oil before it is dcscharged overboard by leading all ordinary water discharges to a separator, the water outlet of which is the only overboard discharge, and that all oil or oily matter so recovered and all settlings of the daily service or daily run or intermediate tanks are efl'ectively' freed of the objectionable water and then brought together with the oil of the service tanks from which emulsion andwater has settled and which is passing to the burners. In this connection it will be noted that oil from the centrifuge enters the compartment 1-1 from which oil flows by the outlet 9 to the burners and which is fed through the passage 11 with oil from which water and emulsion have settled. If oil entcring through the pipe 58 contains any water,

e. g. chemically combined water, that has not been eliminated by the centrifuge, the amount of such water will be so small as compared with the amount of water-free oil 105 entering the compartment through the passage 11 and the pipe 58 that the elliciency of the burners will be substantially maintained. A pipe 70 controlled by a valve 71 may be provided to transfer settlings from 11 the com artment 14 to the compartment 13 of a tan 3. Thus ballast water withdrawn from the storage tanks through the pipe 1 will be freed of oil in the separator 5, before it is discharged overboard, and oil or 115 oily matter contained in the scttlings in the service tanks will be recovered instead of being thrown overboard as heretofore.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, 11 centrifuge, means for passing liquid from said compartment to said separator or said in termediate tank, means for passing settlings from said intermediate tank to said separator, a pipe for conducting a recovered substance from said separator to said centrifuge, and means for bringing together a 130 lit) substance recovered in said centrifuge and a substance assing from said outlet.

2. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a separator, pipes for conducting liquid from said compartment to said intermediate tank or said separator, a centr fuge for purifying a substance recovered from said liquid, and means for conducting settlings from said intermediate tank and a substance recovered in said separator to said centrifuge.

3. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for passing liquid from saidrompartment to said separator or said intermediate tank, means for passing settlings from said intermediate tank to said centrifu e, and means for bringing together a su stance recovered in said centrifuge and a substance passing from said outlet.

4. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for passing liquid from said compartment to said intermediate tank, means for passing settlings from said intermediate tank to said separator a pipe for conducting a substance recovere in said separator to said centrifuge, and means for bugging together a substance recovered in sai centriuge and a substance passing from said outlet.

5. In combination with a service tank, a gravity separator, a pipe for conducting settlings from said service tank to said separator, a centrifuge, a pipe for conducting to said centrifuge a supernatant product recovered in said separator and means for bringing together a substance recovered in said centrifuge and a substance &assing to consumption from said service ta 6. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, pipe connections between said compartment and tank, a. centrifuge, means for conducting settlin from said intermediate tank to said centri uge, and means for bringing to ether a substance recovered in said centri go and a substance passing to consumption from said outlet.

7. In combination with a settling tank having a service outlet, a centrifu means for conducting settlings from sai tank to said centrifuge, and means for brin g toether a substance recovered in sai centriu e and a substance in said settling tank and assing from said service outlet.

8. n combination with ship fuel stora e tanks, 8. service tank, a separator for tfie treatment of oil-containing overboard discharge, means for passing liquid from said storage tanks to said service tank or said separator, an oil purifying centrifuge, means for conducting service-tank settlings and. oily products from said separator to said centrifuge, and a pipe for conductin oil from said centrifuge to said service tan- 9. In combination with ship fuel storage tanks, a. settlin tank, means for passing liquid from sai storage tanks to said settling tank, a separator, means'for conducting settlings from said settling tank to said separator, a centrifuge, a pipe for conducting supernatant oily products recovered in said separator to said centrifuge, and means for conducting oil from said centrifuge to consumption.

10. In combination with a ship fuel service tank, a centrifuge, means for conducting settlings from a lower level of said tank to said centrifuge without admixture with other substances, said tank being divided into compartments communicating at a higher level, a pipe for conducting oil from said centrifuge to one of said compartments, and a pipe leading from the same compartment at substantially said higher level to consumption.

11. In combination with a ship fuel service tank, a centrifuge, means for conducting scttlings from a lower level of said tank to said centrifuge, a pipe for conducting oil from said centrifuge without admixture with other substances to said tank, and a service pipe leading from a higher level of said service tank.

12. In combination a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank, a gravity separator, pipes for passing the contents of said com partment to said intermediate tank or said separator, a centrifuge, a, ipe for conducting to said centrifuge a su stance recovered in said gravity separator and a pipe for conducting to said intermediate tank a substance recovered in said centrifuge.

13. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for passing liquid from said compartment to said intermediate tank, means for passing settlings from said intermediate tank to said separator, and a pipe for conducting to said centrifuge a supernatant substance recovered in said se arator.

14. In combinatiouwiti a liquid compartment an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity se arator, a centrifuge, means for passing iquid from said compartment to said separator, means for passing to said centrifuge a supernatant substance recovered in said separator, and a pipe for conducting to said intermediate gank a substance recovered in said centriuge.

15. In combination with a ship fuel storage tank, a settling tank, means for passing the contents of said storage tank to said settling tank, a gravity separator, means for conducting settlings from said settling tank to said separator, a centrifuge, a pipe for conducting to sa1d centrifuge supernatant oily products recovered in said separator, and means for conducting oil from said centrifuge tosaid settling tank.

16. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for passing" liquid from said compartment to said separator or to said intermediate tank,, means for assing settlings from said intermediate tan to said separator or to said centrifuge, and means for bringing to ether a substance recovered in said centri uge and a substance passing throu h said outlet.

17. combination with a tank having a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for conducting settlings from said service tank to said separator or to said centrifuge, means for conducting a substance recovered in said separator to said centrifuge, and means for bringing together a substance recovered in said centrifuge and a substance passing from said service tank.

18. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having a service outlet, a se arator, a centrifuge, pipes for conducting aid from said com artment to said intermediate tank or to sai separator, means for conducting settlings from said intermediate tank to said separator, a pipe for conducting to said centrifuge a substance recovered in said separator, and a pipe for passing to said intermediate tank a substance recovered in said centrifuge.

19. In combination with shi fuel storage tanks, a gravity separator or the treatment of oil-contaminated overboard discharge, means for passing fluid from said storage tanks to sai separator, an oil purifying centrifuge and means for conducting to said centrifuge oily products recovered in said separator.

20. In combination with a liquid compartment, an intermediate tank having 'a service outlet, a gravity separator, a centrifuge, means for passing liquid from said compartment to said separator or to said intermediate tank, means for assing settlings from said intermediatetan to said separator or to said centrifuge, a pi e for conductin to said centrifuge a su stance recovere in said separator, and means for bringing to ther a substance recovered in said centri uge and a substance passing through said outlet.

21. In combination with shi fuel storage tanks, a avity separator or the treatment of oi -containing overboard discharge, means for assin storage ta to said separator, an oil purifying centrifuge, a pipe for conductin to said centrifuge supernatant oily pro ucts liquid from a ship fuel recovered in said separator, and an overflow for conducting oily roducts recovered in said separator to a fue storage tank.

22. In combination with ship fuel stor ge tanks, a plurality of intermediate ta ks, means for passing liquid from said storage tanks to one of said intermediate tanks, a centrifuge, means for passing liquid from one of said intermediate tanks to said cen trifuge, and a pipe for conducting oil recovered in said centrifuge directly to one of said intermediate tanks.

23. In combination with ship'fuel storage tanks, a plurality of intermediate tanks, means for passing liquid from said storage tanks to one of said intermediate tanks, a centrifuge, means for passing the liquid contained in said last named intermediate tank to said centrifuge, and a separate pipe for conducting oil purified in said centrifuge directly to the other of said intermediate tanks, said last named intermediate tank having a service outlet.

24. The process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on ships, which comprises withdrawing a body of the mixtures from storage or collecting compartments therefor, allowing said body of mixture to settle by gravity in a batch settling operation, withdrawing from said body and continuousl separating by gravity the heavier pro not of said batch settling operation, centrifugally puri ing the oil and oily substances recovers by said gravity separation, and bringing together the centrifugally purified oil and the lighter product of sa1d batch settling operation.

25. The process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on ships, which comprises .withdrawing such mixture from storage or collecting compartments therefor and continuously separating by gravity into water and oil or oily substances the mixture so withdrawn, discharging overboard the separated water, centrifugally purifyin the oil and oily substances recovered in sai avity separation, and bringing together t d centrifugally purified oil and oil from storage.

26. The process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on ships, which comprises withdrawing such mixture from stor e or collecting compartments therefor an continuously separating by gravity into water and oil or oily substances the mixture so withdrawn, discharging overboard the separated water, and centrifugally purifying the supernatant oil and oily substances recovered in said avity separation.

27. T e process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on shi s, which comprises withdrawing such mixture from collecting or storage compartments therefor, continuously separating water by gravity from mixture containing a large proportion of water and batch settling mixture containing a relatively small proportion of water, centrifugally purifying oil and oily substances recovered in said gravity separation and contained in the settlings of said batch settling operation, and bringing together the ccntrifugally purified oil withthe lighter product of said batch settling operation.

28. The process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on shi s, which comprises withdrawing a body 0 the mixtures from storage or collecting compartments therefor, allowing said body of mixture to settle by gravity in a batch settling operation, withdrawing from said body and centrifugally separating the heavier product of said settling operation, and bringing together prior to use thereof the lighter product of said centrifugal separating operation and the lighter product of said settling operation.

29. In apparatus for the separation of a mixture of immiscible substances, a gravity separator comprising compartments communicating at a lower level thereof and each having outlets provided with weirs at. an upper level of said compartments and controlling the level of liquid therein, a chamber having an inlet for the mixture and a gas vent, and a mixture passage from said chamber to a lower level of one of said compartments.

30. In apparatus for the separation of a mixture of immiscible substances, a gravity separator comprising compartments communicating at a lower level thereof and provided with relatively restricted upwardly extending discharge passages respectively having weirs at upper levels thereof for controlling discharge of separated substances, and means for relieving of gas the mixture prior to introduction of the mixture into said separator.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LEO D. JONES.

storage compartments therefor, continuously separating water by gravity from mixture containing a large proportion of water and batch settling mixture containing a relatively small proportion of water, centrifugally purifying oil and oily substances recovered in said gravity separation and contained in the settlings of said batch settling operation, and bringing together the centrifugally purified oil withthe lighter product of said batch settling operation.

28. The process of separating mixtures of water and oil or oily substances including emulsions on shi s, which comprises withdrawing a body of the mixtures from storage or collecting compartments therefor, allowing said body of mixture to settle by gravity in a batch settling operation, withdrawing from said body, and centritugally separating the heavier product of said settling operation, and bringing together prior to use thereof the lighter product of said centrifugal separating operation and the lighter product of said settling operation.

29. In apparatus for the separation of a mixture of immiscible substances, a gravity separator comprising compartments communicating at a lower level thereof and each having outlets provided with weirs at. an upper level of said compartments and controlling the level of liquid therein, a chamber having an inlet for the mixture and a gas vent, and a mixture passage from said chamber to a lower level of one of said compartments.

30. In apparatus for the separation of a mixture of immiscible substances, a gravity separator comprising compartments communicating at a lower level thereof and provided with relatively restricted upwardly extending discharge passages respectively having weirs at upper levels thereof for controlling discharge of separated substances, and means for relieving of gas the mixture prior to introduction of the mixture into said separator.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LEO D. JONES.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,586,449, granted -Mav 25, 1926, upon the application of Leo D. Jones, of Philadelghia, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in stances, an error appears follows:

Processes and Apparatus for the operation of Immiscible Subin the printed specification requiring correction as age 5, lines 83 and 84, claim 10, strike out the words without admixture with other substances; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of July, A D. 1926.

M. J. MOORE, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Illl

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,586,449, granted 'May 25, 1926, upon the application of Leo D. Jones, of Philadel hia, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Prooesses and Apparatus for the eparation of Immiscible Substances, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 5, lines 83 and 84, claim 10, strike out the words without admixture with other substances; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this gorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this 13th day of July, A D. 1926.

[sun] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Uommiss'iomr of Patents. 

